It’s really child abuse, sexual violence, commercial sexual exploitation.

One can only wonder why New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft would allegedly frequent a Palm Beach, Florida massage parlor for an ($59 per) hour of pleasure with a teenager trafficked from China.

He joins the ranks of those accused of wielding their power of male privilege, allegedly sexually violating underage girls for their own gratification and bending the law for personal gain such as R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein.

These minors are induced through fraud, fear and other types of coercion to perform sexual acts for money. Physical violence, psychological manipulation and drugs keep the kids dependent on their pimps. They strip their victims of their identities, passports, cell phones and cash, so they are left helpless, with no means of escape. They are forced to work long hours, with quotas to be met (10 tricks per night), and live in squalid conditions.

The victims often experience mental illness in the form of PTSD, depression, dissociative disorder and chemical addiction, and have high rates of suicide. They are often arrested and charged for prostitution along with their pimps.

How do victims get trapped into human trafficking in this country? These teens rarely choose to be enslaved in this sordid world. If they are homeless, they are easy prey to be lured from the streets. Some may come from foster or broken homes, where they are miserably unhappy, lonely and vulnerable to a strong father/like figure who will help them out and “rescue” them. Many come from homes where absentee parents are not around to provide comfort and regular meals; there may not be enough to eat, and often they feel they must fend for themselves and are desperate for cash. The teens often believe they can leave after one or two encounters when they have enough cash, however, they learn quickly they do not get to choose when to leave.  

Many are brought to this country through deceit. Their elders are lied to and told that they will learn new skills and have “respectable” work and a good life. Often their parents are told that coming to America will cost them thousands of dollars, but their daughters “can work it off” instead. The girls become indentured slaves, never holding the money in their hands.

According to Shea M. Rhodes, Esq, Director of Villanova University School of Law Institute To Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation, (As long as human trafficking) “continues to make headlines, it is vital to remember that those who buy sex, as Robert Kraft is alleged, are responsible for driving the demand for commercial sex that perpetuates trafficking. Media accounts that sympathize with sex-buyers not only diminish the trauma experienced by survivors, they ignore the relationship between commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.”

RESOURCES ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING:

Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Institute To Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation
www.cseinstitute.org

Polaris Project
www.polarisproject.org

Covenant House
www.covenanthouse.org

Child USA
www.childusa.org

National Human Trafficking Hotline
www.humantraffickinghotline.org
Call 1-888-373-7888 or Text BeFree (233733) 

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls, texts, and live chats from anywhere in the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 200 languages. The National Hotline’s mission is to connect human trafficking victims and survivors to critical support and services to get help and stay safe, and to equip the anti-trafficking community with the tools to effectively combat all forms of human trafficking. The National Hotline offers round-the-clock access to a safe space to report tips, seek services, and ask for help.